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For a repository shared by Codex, Claude Code, and compatible tools, use AGENTS.md as the common project-guidance file. Add CLAUDE.md only when you need Claude-specific instructions or a Claude Code setup that does not load AGENTS.md; in that file, import the shared file with @AGENTS.md or use a symlink where appropriate. The right setup depends on each tool’s version, settings, and file-discovery rules—not just the filename.
What is the difference between AGENTS.md and CLAUDE.md?
They are plain-text files used to give coding agents repository guidance that persists across tasks: for example, project conventions, build commands, and instructions for working in a particular codebase. The practical difference is which tools recognize each name by default and how they combine instructions when more than one file is present.
AGENTS.mdis Codex’s standard project-instructions filename and is also recommended as a cross-agent format by VS Code for compatible harnesses.CLAUDE.mdis Claude Code’s familiar project-instructions filename. Current Claude Code versions can also readAGENTS.mddirectly in documented configurations, but behavior depends on version and settings.- Neither filename guarantees that every coding agent will discover the file, load it at the intended scope, or apply it with the same precedence.
OpenAI’s Codex documentation says, “Codex reads AGENTS.md files before doing any work.” Microsoft’s VS Code guidance lists AGENTS.md for OpenAI Codex and Copilot and CLAUDE.md for the Anthropic Claude harness.
When should you use AGENTS.md as the shared file?
Use AGENTS.md as the source of truth when multiple tools need the same repository guidance and those tools support that format. This avoids maintaining separate copies of common rules that can drift apart.
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Codex looks for project instructions from the project root—typically the Git root—down to the current working directory. In each directory, it checks AGENTS.override.md, then AGENTS.md, then configured fallback filenames, using at most one file per directory. It stops at the current directory, so a closer instruction file can specialize guidance. If your project uses another filename, Codex can be configured to recognize it as a fallback; do not assume it discovers arbitrary alternatives automatically. See the Codex instructions guide for details.
When does Claude Code need CLAUDE.md?
Add CLAUDE.md when the team has guidance specific to Claude Code, or when its deployed configuration does not load the shared AGENTS.md. Claude Code’s documented default claude-md-or-agents-md mode reads CLAUDE.md files, or falls back to AGENTS.md files if there is no CLAUDE.md or CLAUDE.local.md in the working directory or above it.
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Claude Code also documents other modes:
claude-md-and-agents-mdreads both, with CLAUDE files before AGENTS files at each directory.claude-mdreads only CLAUDE files.managed-onlylimits launch-time project and user instruction loading to managed CLAUDE instructions and auto memory.
Direct AGENTS.md reading requires Claude Code v2.1.277 or later according to Anthropic’s documentation. Older versions, a disabled built-in plugin, and certain earlier provider or telemetry configurations can affect support. Verify the actual version and settings used by your team before relying on direct loading. Anthropic also documents distinct behavior for hooks and some additional directories, so check its details if your setup relies on those features.
How should you use both files without duplicating guidance?
If Claude-specific settings belong in a separate file but shared project rules should remain in one place, make CLAUDE.md import AGENTS.md, then add only the Claude-specific material. Anthropic documents this import pattern and a symlink as alternatives.
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@AGENTS.md
Claude-specific guidance goes here.Alternatively, configure Claude Code to read both files using its documented claude-md-and-agents-md mode. Choose one approach deliberately and tell contributors how it works; otherwise, someone may edit a file they assume is authoritative while a different file controls the agent’s behavior. For the supported configuration options, see Claude Code’s memory and instruction documentation.
How should you handle nested files and conflicting instructions?
Keep shared rules at the repository root, and add narrower files only when a subdirectory genuinely needs different instructions. Before relying on nested discovery, overrides, or file order, check the behavior of every harness in your workflow. Codex’s search order is not a guarantee that Claude Code or another compatible tool will resolve the same files in the same way. Claude Code’s modes and precedence also differ according to its configured behavior.
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- Write down which file is authoritative for shared rules.
- Keep tool-specific directions separate from rules that apply to every agent.
- Confirm the effective instructions with the actual tool version and settings used by contributors.
- Use a closer or tool-specific instruction file only when its scope and relationship to the root guidance are clear.
VS Code describes AGENTS.md as a cross-agent format supported by multiple harnesses and recommends a shared supported format where possible. But nested discovery and support still depend on the selected harness and VS Code settings. Its custom instructions documentation is the relevant reference when agents are used through VS Code.
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What makes a useful context file?
Keep instructions concise, specific to the project, and actionable. Prefer the commands, conventions, and constraints an agent needs to complete work over broad or repeated advice. Separate task or workflow instructions from lint rules and other configuration that already lives elsewhere in the repository.
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- MULTI-ENVIRONMENT REFERENCE SYSTEM – Used daily in offices, warehouses, manufacturing workstations, classrooms, restaurant kitchens, retail counters, and healthcare settings. Corner-tuck pockets insert and remove documents without creasing – each holds two 8 ½” x 11” sheets or one double-sided document.
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Two 2026 studies offer reasons to pay attention to file quality, but their results should not be treated as universal rates or guarantees:
Quick Recap
- A study by Helio Victor F. dos Santos and co-authors examined 100 popular open-source repositories containing
AGENTS.mdorCLAUDE.md. It identified at least one configuration smell in 91 repositories; its heuristics flagged lint leakage in 62% of sampled files, context bloat in 42%, and skill leakage in 35%. These figures describe that sample and method, not all repositories. See the 14 June 2026 paper. - Prakhar Khatri’s two-agent ablation study evaluated 288 runs across 17 tasks using Claude Code and Codex. It reported no measurable correctness change from context strategy within its stated equivalence bounds. That finding is limited to the study’s agents, tasks, and conditions; it does not show that repository instructions never matter. See the 28 July 2026 paper.
Which setup should you choose?
- Codex plus other compatible agents: Start with a root
AGENTS.mdand verify that each additional harness recognizes it. - Codex and Claude Code, with shared guidance: Keep
AGENTS.mdas the common source. Confirm Claude’s version and mode; use its documented direct-reading support, an import inCLAUDE.md, or a symlink as appropriate. - Claude-specific guidance or a Claude setup that does not read AGENTS.md: Add
CLAUDE.md, while keeping any duplicated shared rules synchronized or importing the shared file. - Uncertain discovery or precedence: Check the tool’s official documentation and the configuration actually deployed before depending on a filename, nested file, or override.
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